cohesion

noun

co·​he·​sion kō-ˈhē-zhən 

1

: the act or state of sticking together tightly

especially : unity

the lack of cohesion in the Party

—The Times Literary Supplement (London)

cohesion among soldiers in a unit

2

: union between similar plant parts or organs

3

: molecular attraction by which the particles of a body are united throughout the mass

cohesionless

kō-ˈhē-zhən-ləs 

adjective

Did you know?

Cohesion is one of the noun forms of cohere; the others are cohesiveness and coherence, each of which has a slightly different meaning. Coherence is often used to describe a person's speech or writing. An incoherent talk or blog post is one that doesn't "hang together;" and if the police pick up someone who they describe as incoherent, it means he or she isn't making sense. But to describe a group or team that always sticks together, you would use cohesive, not coherent. And the words you'd use in Chemistry class to describe the way molecules hang together—for example, the way water forms into beads and drops—are cohesion, cohesive, and cohesiveness.

Examples of cohesion in a Sentence

There was a lack of cohesion in the rebel army.

Recent Examples on the Web

Ukrainian resistance would not have lasted this long without NATO support, making NATO cohesion vital to Ukraine’s future. —Niall Ferguson, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2024

As the sector emerged from the COVID pandemic, there were concerns regarding its financial fragility, and the impact that fragility could have on supporters, player development pathways, social cohesion and local economies if clubs became distressed assets. —Richard Albert, Sportico.com, 5 Dec. 2024

There’s more cohesion on the floor and a firm emphasis on playing free. —Shane Young, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024

By addressing employee bypassing behaviors with empathy, clarity, and consistency, leaders can strengthen accountability and cohesion while emphasizing the importance of organizational structure. —Jenny Fernandez, Harvard Business Review, 4 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin cohaesiōn-, cohaesiō (Medieval Latin, "proximity contact"), from Latin cohaes-, variant stem of cohaerēre "to stick together, cohere" + -iōn-, -iō -ion

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

cohesion

noun

co·​he·​sion kō-ˈhē-zhən 

1

: the action or state of sticking together

2

: molecular attraction by which the particles of a body are united throughout the mass

cohesive

kō-ˈhē-siv

-ziv

adjective

cohesiveness noun

Medical Definition

cohesion

noun

co·​he·​sion kō-ˈhē-zhən 

1

: the act or process of sticking together tightly

2

: the molecular attraction by which the particles of a body are united throughout the mass compare adhesion sense 3